Bhagavad Gita BG 16.16
Chapter 16, Verse 16 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः । प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ॥
aneka-citta-vibhranta moha-jala-samavrtah prasaktah kama-bhogeshu patanti narake 'shucau
Meaning
Bewildered by many thoughts, covered by a net of delusion, addicted to the gratification of desires — they fall into a foul hell.
Understanding
The culminating consequence for the demonic: aneka-citta-vibhranta (bewildered by many thoughts — aneka = many, citta = thoughts/mental states, vibhranta = bewildered, confused). Moha-jala-samavrtah (covered by a net of delusion — jala = net: once the net covers, every direction looks the same). Prasaktah kama-bhogeshu (addicted to, deeply attached to the gratification of desires). The result: patanti narake 'shucau (they fall into a foul hell — naraka = hell, ashuci = impure/foul). The 'many thoughts' (aneka-citta) and the 'net of delusion' are the internal experience of the demonic person — not clarity and one-pointedness but fragmented confusion. The net metaphor is apt: every move is caught; there is no free direction. From this state, the fall is inevitable.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ताः | aneka-citta-vibhranta | bewildered by many thoughts/mental states |
| मोहजालसमावृताः | moha-jala-samavrtah | covered/enveloped by the net of delusion (jala = net) |
| प्रसक्ताः | prasaktah | addicted to, deeply attached, clinging |
| अशुचौ | ashucau | in the foul, impure (in a foul hell — locative) |
| अनेक-चित्त-विभ्रान्ताः | aneka-citta-vibhrāntāḥ | bewildered by various anxieties |
| मोह-जाल-समावृताः | moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ | enveloped in the net of delusion |
| प्रसक्ताः | prasaktāḥ | attached |
| काम-भोगेषु | kāma-bhogeṣu | in sense enjoyments |
| पतन्ति | patanti | they fall |
| नरके | narake | in hell |
| अशुचौ | aśucau | impure |
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